Takeaways from Tallahassee 5/12/18

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Free-market proponent defends Leon County charters

Dr. Bob McClure, president and CEO of The James Madison Institute, a conservative think tank in Tallahassee, isn’t too happy about the Leon County School Board’s decision to block two new charter schools.

In a recent column published in the Tallahassee Democrat, McClure says the School Board is abusing its power, and that the move to block the charters will actually take more money away from non-charter, public K-12 schools.

James Madison Institute CEO Bob McClure is taking issue with the push against Leon County charter schools.

“(W)hen the Leon County School Board inevitably loses this case on appeal,” writes McClure, “you and I will end up having to pay not just the (school board’s) attorney’s fees, but the attorney’s fees for the charter schools as well!”

In April, when the School Board voted down the two charters, it was framed as sending a message to the state — the idea being that the Legislature should focus on funding other public schools, rather than expanding charters.

There were also concerns expressed by the School Board that charters would segregate the school district.

McClure wrote that “charters are open to all students, regardless of race or income. Unlike conventional public schools, they cannot discriminate based on neighborhood or ZIP code. As such, charters are philosophically more inclusive than conventional public schools.”